Chelsea’s lead at the top of the Premier League was cut to one point on Wednesday when they lost 2-1 at Everton with Louis Saha continuing his scoring jinx over them.
Second-placed Manchester United drew 1-1 at Aston Villa while Arsenal stayed in the hunt after beating Liverpool 1-0.
Saha, who scored against Chelsea in the FA Cup final last season and in the 3-3 draw against them in December, cancelled out Florent Malouda’s 17th minute opener for Chelsea with a header in the 33rd.
He then had a penalty saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech on the stroke of halftime before scoring the winner after 75 minutes when he chested the ball down, turned and fired home.
That sent Chelsea to their first defeat in 11 matches and gave Everton manager David Moyes his first victory over the London side on the night he celebrated his 300th Premier League game.
Chelsea remain top with 58 points, but are just one point ahead of Manchester United, who drew at Villa despite playing for more than an hour with 10 men after Nani was sent off for a ragged two-footed challenge on Stilian Petrov.
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Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes that the derby win over Everton over the weekend was just the right medicine to kick start their stuttering season.
The Reds won local bragging rights at Anfield on Saturday as Dirk Kuyt’s close-range header 10 minutes after half-time proved the difference.
Gerrard was happy with all three points and the team’s display, especially as Liverpool had to play most of the match with 10 men after the sending-off of Sotirios Kyrgiakos.
And with confidence high, the Liverpool skipper hopes his team can keep up the momentum and finish the campaign well.
“You always enjoy beating your local rivals but it was the way we did it that was really satisfying, particularly after losing a man after half an hour,” Gerrard said. “I thought we showed fantastic character, a great attitude and I also thought we played some decent stuff at times. I thought it was a fully deserved win.
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Tottenham and England star striker Jermain Defoe missed a penalty in stoppage time as his side threw away a 2 point lead to draw against Everton 2 - 2.
Defoe had put Spurs ahead two minutes into the second half and Michael Dawson doubled their advantage with more than half an hour remaining at Goodison Park.
But substitute striker Louis Saha began Everton’s comeback with a 78th-minute goal and Australian midfielder Tim Cahill grabbed the equalizer on his 30th birthday to end the club’s three-match losing streak in the league.
“We’ve had a bit of bad luck so it was nice to get that draw,” Cahill said.
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Chelsea beat Arsenal 3 - 0 at the Emirates on Sunday, whilst Liverpool won their derby match 2 - 0 against Everton at Goodison Park in the English Premier League.
Two goals from Didier Drogba and a Thomas Vermaelen own goal made the difference as Arsenal, who had won their previous 11 home games in all competitions, struggled to make an impression on a Chelsea defence that has conceded just eight goals in 14 league games.
The match encapsulated the key differences between the two London sides as Chelsea’s powerful lineup outmuscled Arsenal’s lightweights and, when in sight of goal, went for the jugular.
In contrast, Arsenal were content to play endless passes around the box in attacks that all too often petered out thanks to over-elaboration.
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Manchester City have completed the signing of Joleon Lescott from Everton on a five year contractual basis.
After having two bids rejected, City agreed a fee with the Merseyside club over the weekend.
Lescott, 27, passed a medical on Monday and finally tied up the transfer to Eastlands late on Tuesday night.
“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Joleon to Manchester City. He is an England international who has proved his Premier League ability during his time at Everton,” City manager Mark Hughes told the club’s website (www.mcfc.co.uk).
“In bringing Joleon to the Club I feel we have recruited a defender of the very highest quality.
“He can play in a number of defensive positions, and I’m positive he will make a significant impact for us.”
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Joleon Lescott is ready for his medical with Manchester City, but Everton manager David Moyes has criticized the Eastlands club, bankrolled by Abu Dhabi’s multi-millionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, for not preparing to pay what he thought was the going rate from the outset.
The England international is expected to undergo a medical on Monday after City finally came up with a bid which met the Merseysiders’ valuation of the player. Having rejected two previous offers - the first about £18million - Everton are reported to have accepted £24million from City for Lescott.
Asked if the Lescott deal was well advanced the Everton boss said: “If they (City) say they are quite far on I’m sure they are.
“But we shouldn’t have been asked to wait this length of time for an amount of cash we think was the correct value for the player.
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Wayne Rooney scored to hand Manchester United a 1 - 0 English Premier League win over newcomers Birmingham, whilst Liverpool lost 2 - 1 againt Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
North-west rivals United and Liverpool slugged it out for the trophy last season but both looked below-par and pedestrian compared with Arsenal who thumped six goals past Everton on Saturday.
The champions at least hung on to claim all three points and with Chelsea also victorious Liverpool were the only one of the four title favourites who failed to win on the opening weekend.
United, minus Cristiano Ronaldo, needed the quick reactions of Rooney 12 minutes before halftime at Old Trafford to see off promoted Birmingham, the England striker stabbing in a rebound after his header hit the post.
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Everton have rejected the offer from Manchester City of £18million for England defender Joleon Lescott.
City contacted their Premier League rivals with an increased bid of £18million for the central defender - but the Toffees have turned down the offer.
Earlier this summer, the Eastlands club had a bid of £15million rejected, with Everton boss David Moyes insisting no player will leave Goodison Park this summer without his approval.
A club statement read: “We can confirm we have received an offer of £18million for Joleon Lescott from Manchester City and that offer has been rejected outright.”
Everton signed Lescott from Wolves in 2006 and the player has gone on to become a regular in both the Blues’ starting XI and the England national squad.
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Guus Hiddinck received the best farewell present on Saturday when Chelsea beat Everton 2 - 1 in the FA Cup final played at Wembley.
Blues interim boss Hiddink resumes his role as Russia coach on a full-time basis in June but he will always be fondly remembered at Stamford Bridge after leading Chelsea to their first trophy for two years.
Everton had made the perfect start when Louis Saha struck after just 25 seconds to claim the fastest goal in FA Cup final history.
But Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba headed Chelsea level midway through the first half before Lampard’s long-range effort sealed his club’s fifth FA Cup success and ensured Hiddink would leave on a high.
It was also a memorable day for Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, who became the first player for more than 100 years to earn five FA Cup winners’ medals.
For Drogba it meant a welcome high after having been lambasted following his outburst when Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona.
“I am really delighted,” gasped Drogba.
“It took a lot of effort. We needed to win a trophy this season. We just had to believe in our expectations. Guus Hiddink has transformed us.”
Lampard said that his trbute when he scored was for his mother, who died last year.
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The English Premier League seems to be slipping away from Chelsea as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton on Wednesday.
Guus Hiddink’s side couldn’t break down a stubborn Everton rearguard action at Stamford Bridge and look destined to miss out on the English crown for a third successive season. The west London club are six points behind leaders Manchester United, who returned to the top of the table with a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s team can make the gap nine points with a win in their game in hand.
After being frustrated by Everton, Chelsea will see the Champions League, where they face Barcelona in the semi-finals, and the FA Cup as their best hopes of giving Hiddink a successful send-off before he returns to his role as Russia coach on a full-time basis. Judging by the evidence of this FA Cup final dress rehersal, Chelsea will have to raise their game considerably to beat David Moyes’ team at Wembley.
Moyes’ men arrived in west London basking in the afterglow of Sunday’s victory over United, which booked their first FA Cup final appearance for 14 years. In a bid to combat the debilitating effects of extra-time at Wembley, Moyes made four changes to his team, with defender Phil Jagielka, scorer of the winning penalty in the shoot-out, relegated to the bench.
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